Various types of valves are used in the semiconductor industry to transport fluids, including highly caustic fluids. It is important that these valves do not cause quiescent or dead spots in the fluid flow course, which could cause the fluid to become stagnant and degrade or could trap solids resulting in the contamination of the fluid. In addition, it is important that the number of potential leakage sources or seals be kept to a minimum due to the highly caustic fluids often used in the semiconductor industry.
These valves must be made of materials highly resistant to the caustic fluids. Contact with metal parts is generally to be avoided. The components that contact the fluids are typically formed of fluoropolymers such as perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), polyvinylidene (PVDF), or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
A drawback of previous valve designs is that fluid leaks sometimes occur between the interface of the diaphragm assembly and the valve body, or between the interface of body or housing components. Since the fluids used in the semiconductor industry tend to be highly caustic, fluid leakage can result in damage to the surrounding process line equipment and/or reduce the efficiency of the process, which can increase the cost of manufacturing semiconductors.
As such, there remains a need in the industry for valves that reduce and/or eliminate potential leakage of fluids used in the production of semiconductors.